MEDIA PROTOCOL: Please note there will be NO MEDIA PERMITTED in Carnegie Theatre during the family remembrance between 10:30 am to noon. Media may record the march that begins at noon at Main and Hastings, except NO recording of the ceremonies that take place during the march.

For general media inquiries or to set up further interviews, contact Harsha Walia: 778 885 0040

February 8, 2017 VANCOUVER, Coast Salish Territories- The February 14th Annual Women’s Memorial March is held on Valentine’s Day to honour the memory of all women from the Downtown Eastside who have died due to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence. Now in its 27th year, the march brings courage and commitment to end the violence that vulnerable women in the Downtown Eastside face on a daily basis.

The Women’s Memorial March Committee is hosting a press conference on Tuesday February 14th at 11 am in the Carnegie Center’s 3rd floor classroom. The march begins at noon on Main and Hastings.

The February 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee was founded when a woman was found murdered on Powell Street .For 27 years, the Committee has been a leading voice on the issue of violence against Indigenous women and has raised local, national, and international attention. Despite a national inquiry being launched on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the reality on the ground in the Downtown Eastside has not changed.

According to the Women’s Memorial March Committee “Increasing deaths of many vulnerable women from the Downtown Eastside still leaves family, friends, loved ones, and community members with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. Indigenous women disproportionately continue to go missing or be murdered with minimal action to address these tragedies or the systemic nature of gendered violence, poverty, racism, or colonialism.”

In Vancouver, friends and family members led by Indigenous women move through the DTES and stop at sites where women died or were last seen to offer prayers, medicines, and roses in remembrance.

Ive been blogging for 10 months and its been a blast writing articles, poetry and journaling but I have been starting to miss spending my spare time painting and sketching. I am exited to dedicate the months leading up to summer painting the things in life that inspire me.

I find inspiration from so many things; buddhism, graffiti, anime and my traditional native art to; painting portraits or abstract art and it is truly just as gratifying as writing a heartfelt poem or blog post. I’m happy to return to the sketchbook, wood, canvas and sometimes the concrete.

I spent a short portion today painting a large portrait of buddha and I loved it!